Motion combines task management with scheduling to help users manage their workload. While its AI-powered features are appealing, many users find the setup process too complex. The manual inputs required to keep everything running smoothly can also feel like more work than they save, making it difficult to fully integrate the Motion app into daily routines.

Because of this, both individuals and teams often look for alternatives that offer a more intuitive experience. Whether it’s simpler onboarding, better third-party integrations, or AI features with more flexibility in handling different work styles, finding the right productivity tool to-do list app can make a huge difference.

This article explores some of the best Motion alternatives, comparing their key features and strengths. Among them is Tanka, an AI-powered messenger that acts as your team’s Chief Memory Officer—retaining key discussions, decisions, and action items across platforms like Slack, Gmail, WhatsApp, Outlook, Notion, and more. Unlike traditional task management tools that require constant manual updates, Tanka ensures that important follow-ups and priorities resurface exactly when needed, helping teams stay on track without the overhead of managing a separate to-do list.

1. Tanka

Tanka isn’t just another productivity platform or an AI administrative assistant—it’s your AI-powered Chief Memory Officer, designed to keep track of conversations, decisions, and action items across multiple platforms so you don’t have to. Unlike Motion, which relies on structured task and scheduling inputs, Tanka AI works in the background, intelligently surfacing key information when you need it most. 

Tanka recalls past conversations, team insights, and decisions, turning unstructured data into actionable knowledge. Instead of relying on memory or searching through endless threads, you get customized AI assistance with all the context you need. Whether it’s reminding you of a follow-up from a Slack discussion, pulling up relevant emails before a meeting, or ensuring deadlines don’t slip through the cracks, Tanka transforms how teams stay organized—without requiring constant manual updates.

Key features

• AI-powered smart follow-ups – Tanka remembers past discussions and commitments, ensuring action items don’t get lost across Slack, Gmail, WhatsApp, and Notion. It nudges you with the right context when it’s time to follow up.
• Seamless cross-platform integration – Unlike Motion, which focuses on its built-in scheduling, Tanka works within your existing workflows, bringing together updates from Slack, Gmail, Outlook, WhatsApp, and more into one unified memory system.
• Context-aware scheduling prep – Tanka automatically gathers relevant files, messages, and notes ahead of your meetings, so you show up prepared—without scrambling to find information.
• AI-powered insights – Tanka doesn’t just track your workload; it analyzes your work patterns and provides smart scheduling recommendations, helping you balance priorities more effectively.
• Memory-first collaboration – Instead of manually turning conversations into tasks, Tanka remembers what matters from chats and meetings, ensuring no important decisions or deadlines slip away.

Why choose Tanka?

For professionals and teams seeking a frictionless approach to staying organized, Tanka eliminates the constant switching between apps and the need to log every task manually. It doesn’t replace your tools—it enhances them, ensuring key information is always at your fingertips when you need it.

Limitations

Tanka is currently in beta, meaning new features and improvements are still being rolled out. While this brings exciting future updates, some functionalities may still be evolving. Users should expect occasional updates as Tanka grows and refines its capabilities.

2. Asana

Asana is one of the most well-known and widely used project management tools in the industry. It helps teams organize their workflow and improve productivity with flexible features designed for collaboration. Whether managing a simple task list or a complex multi-phase project, Asana offers customizable solutions that adapt to various business needs. Teams across industries use Asana to track projects, stay organized, and keep communication clear.

Key features

• Customizable project views – Asana offers different views like lists, Kanban boards, and timelines, making it easy to switch between methods depending on the nature of the work and team preferences. Teams can organize tasks in ways that suit their workflow best, whether they’re handling small to-dos or complex project roadmaps.
• Workflow automation – Asana’s ability to automate workflows means that teams can set up rules to handle repetitive tasks. For example, you can automate the creation of tasks, change assignees, or set up notifications when tasks are overdue, helping save time and reduce human error.
• Goal-setting and progress tracking – With features like goal tracking, milestones, and progress bars, Asana allows teams to align daily tasks with broader business objectives. This ensures that everyone is on the same page and working towards shared goals.

Why choose Asana?

Asana is perfect for teams that require flexibility, structured task management, and a tool that can grow with them. The platform’s collaboration features and integration options make it a solid choice for teams of all sizes, particularly those that need to manage detailed project workflows and track progress on recurring tasks over time.

Limitations

While Asana is great for larger teams or complex projects, its abundance of features can be overwhelming for smaller teams or individuals who may only need basic task management. The user interface can feel busy, and it might take some time to get familiar with its various features.

3. Trello

Trello is a simple yet effective task and project management tool based on the Kanban method. Its clean, visual layout allows teams to easily track their tasks and projects at a glance. Each project can be organized into boards, which contain lists (stages of the project) and cards (tasks). This visual method is highly intuitive and works well for teams that need to quickly understand their project status.

Key features

• Boards, lists, and cards – Trello’s Kanban-style system offers a visual layout to track tasks. Boards can represent projects, while lists represent the stages, and cards represent the individual tasks. The drag-and-drop interface makes it easy to move tasks between stages, ensuring a smooth workflow.
• Power-ups – Trello offers Power-ups, which are integrations that extend the tool's functionality. For example, Power-ups include calendar views, automation features (Butler), and integrations with tools like Slack, Google Drive, and others. These can help teams manage their work even more efficiently.
• Integrations – With seamless integration capabilities, Trello connects to a variety of other tools, including Google Drive, Slack, Jira, and more. This allows teams to stay connected and keep all their work in one place, without switching between apps.

Why choose Trello?

Trello is ideal for smaller teams or those who need a simple and visual approach to task management. The intuitive Kanban layout works well for straightforward workflows and helps ensure that everyone stays on track.

Limitations

While Trello excels in simplicity and visual organization, it lacks some of the more advanced features found in other tools, like Asana or ClickUp. It doesn’t have built-in time tracking, detailed reporting, or advanced workflow automation, which may limit its use for larger teams or complex projects.

4. ClickUp

ClickUp is an all-in-one productivity platform designed to help teams manage projects, tasks, time, and everything in between. It offers a robust set of features that go beyond traditional task management, including document sharing, reporting, and team collaboration tools. ClickUp is especially appealing to teams managing tasks that require heavy customization and detailed tracking.

Key features

• Multiple task views – ClickUp provides several ways to organize your tasks, including lists, boards, Gantt charts, and timelines. This makes it easy to switch between different project views, depending on the work and the needs of the team.
• Advanced reporting and workload management – ClickUp helps teams gain insights into their performance through in-depth reporting and analytics. The platform offers features to track work progress, monitor workloads, and generate reports that provide actionable data to improve team productivity.
• Customizable dashboards – Teams can create personalized dashboards that track key metrics, deadlines, and overall project health. This ensures that managers and team members can stay focused on the tasks that matter the most without being distracted by irrelevant details.

Why choose ClickUp?

ClickUp is perfect for teams that need an all-in-one platform with deep customization and advanced features with an AI knowledge base. If your team is working on complex projects and needs in-depth tracking, reporting, and task management, ClickUp provides the tools you need to stay on top of everything.

Limitations

With its abundance of features, ClickUp can feel overwhelming to new users. It has a steep learning curve, particularly when setting up workflows for the first time. Teams looking for something more streamlined may find ClickUp to be more complex than needed.

5. Todoist

Todoist is a lightweight task and time management tool that allows individuals and teams to keep their tasks organized and prioritized. The platform’s minimalist design ensures that users are not bogged down with more features that are unnecessary, making it an ideal time management tool for personal use or simple team workflows.

Key features

• Task prioritization – Todoist allows users to prioritize tasks by labels, filters, and due dates. This makes it easy to focus on what’s important and stay organized, even with a busy schedule.
• Recurring due dates and reminders – Todoist’s recurring due dates and reminders help users stay on track with repeat tasks. This feature is particularly useful for users who need to manage daily or weekly tasks regularly.
• Simple collaboration – With Todoist, team members can share projects, assign tasks, and track progress, making it easy to collaborate on smaller projects without overwhelming complexity.

Why choose Todoist?

Todoist is a perfect choice for individuals or small teams that want a simple, intuitive task manager without the complexity of larger project management tools. If you need a straightforward tool for both managing tasks, organizing and scheduling tasks, scheduling meetings and staying on top of deadlines, Todoist is an excellent fit.

Limitations

Todoist lacks some of the more features found in other platforms like Gantt charts, time tracking, and detailed reporting. This makes it less a suitable alternative to compared to what motion offers for large teams or complex workflows, as the tool is designed for simplicity rather than depth.

Best Motion alternatives: comparison table

Finding the best Motion alternatives

Asana and ClickUp are excellent choices for teams managing multiple projects that require structured workflows, detailed tracking, and advanced reporting. Their robust feature sets make them ideal for large teams and complex projects, but they can be overwhelming for smaller teams or individuals with simpler needs.

Trello and Todoist, on the other hand, offer a more visual and straightforward approach, making them great for individuals or small teams focused on daily planning and collaboration. However, they lack the depth needed for handling complex project management and cross-platform coordination.

Tanka takes a different approach—acting as your AI-powered Chief Memory Officer rather than a traditional task manager. It doesn’t just help with scheduling; it provides a user-friendly chat interface and intelligent AI assistance, ensuring that key discussions, decisions, and follow-ups are retained and easily accessible. Unlike tools that rely on rigid task inputs, Tanka automatically surfaces relevant information at the right time, eliminating manual tracking and simplifying coordination. Whether you're managing a team or juggling multiple priorities, Tanka ensures you stay on top of what matters—without adding more work to your plate.

The best tool for you depends on your project complexity, team size, and need for automation. If you’re looking for a frictionless way to stay organized without constantly switching between apps, Tanka is the answer.

🚀 Looking for an easier way to manage your workload? Try Tanka today! Sign up for the free Beta or request a demo to see how AI-powered memory can transform the way you work.

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